


The Brave Prince and The Stable Boy

by quietly_desperate



Series: 15 Days of Fics [9]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Hurt Justin Foley, Hurt/Comfort, Justin Foley Needs a Hug, M/M, Out of Character, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Alex Standall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24858019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietly_desperate/pseuds/quietly_desperate
Summary: “Justin had stayed at Alex’s place for two nights now, and he’d never been this quiet.“In which Justin seeks shelter in Alex, who knows just the right thing to say.Ft. Scared!Justin and Protective!Alex, with a metaphorical story time at the end.
Relationships: Justin Foley/Alex Standall
Series: 15 Days of Fics [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787188
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	The Brave Prince and The Stable Boy

Justin had stayed at Alex’s place for two nights now, and he’d never been this quiet. The whole drive to school, he stared out of the passenger window and fiddled with his fingers, wrapping them around each other and pulling them taught. He didn’t say a word, which Alex found unnerving, since he always managed to say something, even if it was an insult. Alex realised far too late that Justin’s shoulders were hunched, almost as if he was trying to protect himself from something. His leg was jittery and shaking the car. Justin was a mess to be frank. 

By the time they pulled up to school, Alex was wondering if it was a smart idea to be there. After all, Justin was quiet and restless, which was never a good sign, and even his hair was a mess and his clothes were rumpled. Maybe he should have turned around, taken them to Monet’s or a park or anywhere other than here. Maybe he should have locked them in his room before they could leave. But would that have been helpful, or only made things worse? Alex would never know. 

Justin stayed by the car as Alex got out. Usually he was off like a rocket, ditching Alex before he had even parked. Today, he lingered, looking anxiously towards the school building as if the devil was about to pop out and murder him. When Alex had grabbed his bag out of the back seat, Justin rushed to his side and only began walking when Alex did. He was still quiet and looked over his shoulder every five seconds, but it was better than rushing off or giving Alex the cold shoulder completely. 

Then, the most unexpected thing happened. As the boys entered the school building, Justin brushed his arm against Alex’s. When Alex didn’t recoil, he laced their arms together and leaned his head against Alex’s shoulder. Alex looked down at Justin in slight awe. Surely this wasn’t comfortable for him but he wasn’t about to push him away, either.

“You...okay, Jus?” Alex said quietly into his ear. 

“Just tired,” Justin said. 

That was good enough for Alex. Fuck the stares and the whispers, people could say whatever they wanted to. All Alex knew was Justin needed him and he wasn’t about to abandon him in his time of need. 

They headed to Alex’s locker first. Justin slipped his arm from Alex’s, moving to lean on the locker beside his in order to give Alex freedom to grab his books. He still stayed as close as he could, cowering like a small child every time someone passed. Alex had never seen Justin act this way. Not that they were close before, but even so. This behaviour seemed unusual. 

When he was finished exchanging his books, he found himself being wrapped up into Justin’s arm again. He was pulled from his locker as they made their way to Justin’s, just down the hall. Even with the slight distance between them as Alex tried to catch up, Justin remained holding onto him as tightly as possible, and once distance wasn’t a issue, he tucked himself as tightly as he could against Alex. 

There was no denying that the uncharacteristic behaviour was causing many of their peers to whisper. Alex’s previous statement of _fuck the world_ suddenly felt less powerful. He wondered if these whispers would affect Justin. He wondered if these whispers would affect him. 

“Please don’t leave.” 

Alex looked at Justin, who was looking back at him with wide eyes and a pleading expression. 

“What?” Alex said rather dumbly. 

“Don’t leave,” Justin replied. “Please. I know they’re staring but, fuck, Alex, I really need someone right now.” 

Justin’s face turned a pale shade of red. He wasn’t angry, that much was obvious, but Alex couldn’t pinpoint what particular emotion he was feeling. That was, until he saw Justin blinking back tears, and everything seemed to click. 

“Hey, hey, I’m not leaving,” Alex said. He gently cupped Justin’s face and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb. “I’m right here.” 

Justin fell face forward into Alex’s chest, letting out an exhausted sigh. They were standing by his locker, but he hadn’t made a move to open it. Alex didn’t push him to do so. 

“I wish I never came. I wish _we_ never came. I should have just skipped.” 

“And gone where?” Alex asked. “Monet’s? The park? You would have been stuck in your head with your thoughts, driving yourself crazy.” When Justin began to shake before him, Alex sighed and changed his mind. “Maybe we should have stayed home...”

“No, you’re right; I would have driven myself crazy, especially if I was alone. I just need to...man the fuck up or something.” 

“The fact that you even came here today is proof enough that you’re ‘ _man enough_.’ Don’t doubt yourself, Justin.” 

Alex pushed him back gently so they were eye to eye. “I’m here, and I’ll be here whenever you need me. I’m a text message away if you need me during class. We’ll see each other at gym, and you know you can sit with us at lunch. Just because we’re at school doesn’t mean I go away.” 

Justin’s eyes went wide, but for a totally different reason than before. “Really?” He asked, overly hopefully. “I won’t bother you or anything?” 

“Dude, you’ve slept in my bed the past two nights,” Alex laughed. “If I thought you were being a bother, you would have known.” 

“Fuck you, Standall, you know you like me in your bed. It’s the most action you’ve gotten in months.” 

Alex grinned. There was the Justin he knew and loved, even though he could be a prick sometimes. He was too happy to even comment on Justin’s awful belief that Alex hadn’t gotten any in months. 

The gentle reminder that Justin was not a burden seemed to brighten his mood, and he went about collecting his books and joking around with Alex until the bell went. His mood dropped for a split second, fear crossing his face, but he brushed it off with a smile. 

“Remember, only a few classes until we have gym. I’ll see you then,” Alex said. 

Justin nodded. “Gym,” he repeated. 

They went their seperate ways to homeroom, Justin to the left and Alex to the right. Alex looked over his shoulder briefly, checking to see if Justin was okay, but he was long gone, swept away by the crowd. With little else he could do, he turned back around and headed for his classroom. 

The first few periods were spent restlessly with his hand inside his pocket where his phone sat on silent. Alex was so afraid he wouldn’t hear or feel the buzz, so he kept his hand there just in case. When it became obvious that Justin was fine and did not need some courageous knight to come rescue him, Alex let go of his phone and actually tried to concentrate on his work. 

He looked out for Justin between classes, just in case, whilst also seeking out Bryce, and more importantly, his relation to Justin. Unfortunately, Alex spotted neither. This only made him more anxious, worried that Justin had been cornered by the jock, or had split and was out in the middle of town, aimlessly walking, lost and alone and confused. 

_This is pointless_ , he thought. _Justin is fine, and so are you. If he needs you, he’ll text you. Calm the fuck down, Standall._

The period before gym, Alex was sitting in the back of his AP History class when his phone buzzed. He immediately sat up and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and clumsily unlocking it to check his messages. 

**Alex** \- J

It was only one word but one word was enough. Alex’s mind began racing, conjuring up all the worst case scenarios he could think of. He almost forgot to text Justin back. 

_You OK? - A_

**No - J**

“Is there something more interesting in your lap that you would like to share with us, Mr. Standall?” 

Alex jumped. His history teacher was staring him down from the front of the room, his classmates eyes on him as they snickered. 

He scowled. “No, sir.” 

“That’s what I thought,” his teacher replied. 

When his back was turned, Alex added, “Was just wondering if I needed to take a piss, sir. I find that wiggling my ass tends to help determine that.” 

The class snickered again. Mr. Randall turned back around and stared at Alex, his bushy eyebrows furrowed together in a harsh stare. 

“This is your first and final warning, Mr. Standall.” 

Alex rolled his eyes once his teacher had returned to the board. He wasn’t worried about history or how the ancient Greeks used to trade - his priority was Justin. 

Who he hadn’t responded to. 

_Do you want me to come see you? - A_

**Please - J**

_What class are you in? - A_

**Chemistry - J**

_Meet me in the second floor bathrooms in 10 - A_

Alex slipped his phone back into his pocket. He hoped Justin had received his message and decided to go. Walking to the second floor bathrooms would be a huge waste of time if he didn’t. 

He waited five minutes before he began shuffling in his seat again. It was subtle at first, small little movements that only caught the attention of the people next to him. With each passing second, Alex upped the ante, right to the point where his chair was squeaking againsT the linoleum floor. 

Mr. Randall turned towards his with an exasperated sigh. “Mr. Standall, may I help you?” 

“I was just checking if I needed to piss again, sir,” Alex said. “And...yeah, I think I do. May I please get a hall pass.” 

“Better you go than disrupt us in here. Be quick.” 

Alex grinned as he snatched the hall pass out of his teacher’s hands. That was way too easy. 

He jogged down the hallways, only slowing when he heard other footsteps or spotted a teacher approaching him. Eventually he made it to the second floor bathrooms, a few minutes later than he told Justin. When he entered them, they were empty.

Alex deflated. All that energy for nothing. Well, not for nothing, seeing as Justin did need help. Maybe he hadn’t received his message, or wasn’t allowed out of class. What if Alex had a missed text message that he hadn’t realised had come in? What if - 

His thoughts were cut short as Justin stumbled in a second later. His hair was even more disheveled than it was earlier, like he had been tugging on it all day. Only now did Alex see the deep purple bags under Justin’s eyes. He looked like a total mess. 

“Sorry it took me so long, Miss. Concetta was being a bitch,” Justin mumbled quietly. 

Alex didn’t know what to do. He felt stuck, looking at a distraught Justin. He wanted to hug him, or drag him to his car and drive far, far away from he. He wanted to wrap Justin up on bubble wrap and keep him there until all his monsters had been defeated. 

Instead, he gave Justin a shake of his head. “It’s fine, I understand. You don’t need to apologise.” 

They lapsed into silence. Justin was back to looking at the floor and fiddling with his fingers, whilst Alex bounced on his feet and went back and forth in putting his weight on each leg. Neither boy seemed to know how to ask for what they wanted. 

Eventually, Alex sighed. They couldn’t stay here forever, and if Justin wasn’t about to speak, someone had to. 

“What happened? You don’t have to talk about it, but -“ 

“It was just Bryce being a dick, as usual,” Justin interrupted. “It shouldn’t have bothered me, but he’s had Monty on my back all day and it’s stressing me the fuck out.“

“I’m going to kill him,” Alex seethed under his breath. Justin’s looked up and cocked an eyebrow. “I just get so frustrated when I hear he’s doing stupid shit like that to you. I mean, what have you ever done to him that was so bad?” 

Justin shrugged, a helpless action that broke Alex’s heart. The boy was just looking for love and acceptance, and the one person who should have been giving that to him was instead acting like a total douche and choosing to be a bully instead. Who wouldn’t be mad about something so cruel? 

“This is a really stupid question, but, like, can I do anything? I don’t know how to help.” 

As if it weren’t possible before, somehow Justin managed to make himself look smaller, despite being slightly taller than Alex. His shoulders hunched in fear again, his eyes screwing shut to fight off Alex’s reaction. 

“Could I, maybe, get a hug? Please?” 

Alex didn’t hesitate - he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Justin and carefully as he could. That was useless, as Justin fisted Alex’s shirt in his hands and pulled himself into his chest and much as he could. Alex tightened his grip, which made Justin sigh and shudder. 

“Thank you,” he said hoarsely. “I’m sorry about all this.” 

“You have nothing to apologise for,” Alex replied honestly. “You know I’d do anything to help you, Justin. Anything.” 

Justin sniffled. He laughed, and took a step back to wipe his eyes. “Shit,” he said bitterly. “Look a me being a fucking pussy. God, I’m hopeless.” 

“You’re not. You’re going through a tough time and you’re handling it as best as you can, considering the circumstances. It’s okay to cry.” 

“When did you become a therapist, Standall?” 

“Ever since you needed one, Foley.” 

“Fuck you.” 

“Love you, too.”

They grinned at each other, even through broken hearts and tear-streaked faces. When his smile faded, Justin burrowed himself back into Alex’s embrace. The contented sigh was all Alex needed to know that he was doing the right thing.

”I should go,” Justin said after a while. He pulled away, although he didn’t fully detach himself from Alex’s embrace. He was just far enough that they could look at each other.

”Are you sure you’re okay to go back to class?” Alex asked.

It took a while, but eventually, Justin nodded. “Yeah, now I am. We have gym next, so I won’t be alone too long.”

”That you won’t.”

”Thanks again, for, you know, being there for me.” Justin blushed and looked at his feet. Alex caught the first sight of a small smile cross his face, and he grinned. “I mean it. You’ve done a lot for me. I really appreciate it.”

”And I meant it when I said that I would always be here for you. You’re going to be okay.”

They hugged once more, a short but sweet embrace that left Justin smiling when they separated. They walked out of the bathroom together, hand-in-hand, acting like a couple in a cheesy romantic comedy as they tried their best to remain locked as they walked in opposite directions. Eventually, the stretch became too much and Alex fell to the floor. He fell face-first, his nose crunching under the weight of him.

Justin was immediately by his side, one hand on his arm and the other on his lower back.

”Shit, are you okay?”

He was expecting crying, or screaming, or complete silence as Alex processed the shock and pain of falling so hard on a delicate body part. Instead, Alex was laughing, tears falling down his reddened face and body shaking with the cause.

”Fuck, that was so goddamn cheesy,” he said between giggles. He turned his head to look at Justin. “Promise me we’ll do that again sometime? I wanna see how far we can go.”

“You prick!” Justin slapped Alex’s back. “I thought you were hurt!”

”I’m fine. That was really funny.”

Alex sat up with the help of Justin. His face was still red from laughing, but it was more of a pastel shade rather than the colour of a tomato. Justin smiled, and everything felt better.

”You sure you’re okay?” He asked.

Alex held out his pinky finger. “I promise.”

Justin locked his pinky around Alex’s pinky finger. They squeezed the other finger as hard as they could before pulling away and helping each other up.

”I’ll see you in fifteen minutes,” Alex said, beginning to walk backwards to his History classroom.

”Try not to fall over again, Standall. You look like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”

”Fuck you, Foley.”

When Alex returned to his class, Mr. Randall gave him a dramatic sigh and ushered him back to his desk. Somehow, by some grace of some God Alex didn’t believe in, he’d managed to evade punishment for being out of class for twenty minutes. That had to be some kind of record.

He felt better about leaving Justin alone for the last fifteen minutes of class. He’d seemed happier, less shaky after their hug. And the fact that he’d called Alex the fucking Christmas reindeer was enough to reinforce in Alex’s mind that Justin would be okay. They only had fifteen minutes apart, anyway.

•••

Later that night, as Alex waited for Justin to finish in the bathroom, he wondered what had changed between them to make Justin want to be around him as much as he had today. Even at lunch, they had sat thigh-to-thigh, shoulder-to-shoulder, much to the amusement of Clay, Tony and Jess.

During gym, Justin had abandoned his friends in favour of sticking by Alex, despite the fact that Alex was a lazy piece of shit and barely did anything. They ended up just walking around for the whole period. Coach was too distracted by a fight between Bryce and some Freshman kid to notice.

And now, lying in bed, he knew that as soon as Justin came into the room, he’d crawl right into the bed and press himself up against Alex as tightly as he could. There was no proof; the past two nights they had barely acknowledged each other. But tonight, something was different, something had changed, and Alex just knew that Justin would be right up against him in a matter of minutes.

”Alex?” Justin called into the darkness of Alex’s room.

”I’m in the bed.”

Five seconds later, Justin was pulling back the covers. He hesitated for a moment before crawling into the bed...and snuggling up right against Alex. That was no surprise.

Alex lifted one of his legs and Justin automatically slipped one of his own between Alex’s legs. It happened naturally, without either of them really thinking about it. Alex liked it. It felt nice.

”Is...is this okay?” Justin whispered.

”Yeah. It’s fine,” Alex whispered back.

They shuffled a bit, finding a comfortable position before settling in. Justin’s head was resting on Alex’s chest, his right leg tucked between Alex’s, and his right arm around Justin’s shoulder. They were as close as physically possible.

Without thinking, Alex began to run his hand up and down Justin’s back. He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, Justin let out a sigh that could have been mistaken for a purr.

”Tell me a story?” He said.

Alex frowned and looked down at him. “A story? About what?”

”Something happy,” Justin said. “Something to quieten the voices in my head.”

So Alex told Justin a story. A story of a brave prince who faced his demons everyday, even though his mum was an even witch addicted to potions, and his so called ‘best friend’ turned out of be a dragon.

When Justin seemed shaken up, Alex reassured him that the brave prince befriended the stable boy, and whenever the prince needed a reminder of his bravery, he would go to the stable boy and lay with him in the hay.

”What happens to the witch and the dragon?” Justin asked.

”Well,” Alex said, continuing to run his fingers up and down Justin’s spine, “the dragon breathed fire into the east wing of the palace, where the witch lived. The fire killed her, and the prince was sad, until he realised that he was better off without her. And the dragon became so ashamed of his behaviour, he was booed out of the kingdom.”

”Does he come back?”

”Occasionally, yes. The prince worried he would kill him, but the stable boy reminds him that the whole kingdom backs him, so whenever the dragon tried to pay them a visit, he was always booed out again.”

Justin let out a tired sigh. “I like that thought.”

”Yeah, me too.”

”And what about the stable boy? What happens with him?”

Alex frowned. He didn’t want to say something wrong, to project what he wanted and how he felt if Justin didn’t feel the same way.

So he said, “What do you think should happen with the stable boy?”

”I think he and the prince should become best friends,” Justin said. “The prince may be brave, but having the stable boy around makes him braver. And the stable boy must have been lonely in the stables. Sure, people visited, but mainly for the horses. The stable boy deserves a friend.”

”Well then, that’s what happens,” Alex said. “The prince and the stable boy become very close, and they live happily ever after. The end.”

Justin propped himself up on one elbow. He looked down at Alex with wide eyes, eager and anticipating. If Alex wasn’t so sure that Justin was in good mood, he may have cowered.

”Do you mean it?” He asked quietly. “Can the prince and the stable boy become friends?”

”Of course,” Alex nodded. “I mean, the prince has a higher ranking, so it’s up to him. But the stable boy would like a friend. It gets lonely sleeping alone in the stables.”

Justin smiled. It was so wide and so bright, Alex could see the reflection of his teeth in the dark.

”The prince wants to be friends with the stable boy. He makes the prince feel safe.”

Alex smiled back. “The prince makes the stable boy feel happy. He’s not alone anymore.”

Justin fell back onto Alex’s chest and snuggled into him. The scared boy that was in Alex’s car earlier in the day had completely disappeared. Instead, there was a brave, strong, happy boy, who felt safe enough to be vulnerable around the people he trusted. Alex thought that was a massive improvement.

He fell asleep to the sound of Justin snoring. And when he woke up in the middle of the night, they were still holding on to each other like they couldn’t let go. Things were okay. They were okay now.


End file.
